Process and apparatus for treating elaterite.



J. G. Ross. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TRBATING BLATBRITB.

APPLIGATION 'ILBD APR.27, 1911.

1,057,093. Patented Mar.25,1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

JAMES C. ROSS, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO'THE HYDRO-CARBON COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEVADA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATIN G ELATERITE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

Application led April 27, 1911. Serial No. 623,757.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES C'. Ross, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Colorado Springs, El Paso county, Colorado, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes and Apparat-us for Treating Elaterite, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved method of treating elaterite and to the apparatus for carrying out this method.

More particularly, my invention relates to the means for treating crude elaterite or other similar hydrocarbons, such as gilsonite or ozocerite, by burning the same, whereby a product is obtained which may be-used as a substitute for ordinary rubber.

In Patent No. 984,240, issued February 14, 1911, to ames C. Ross, there is described a process of treating'elaterite by burning the material in the open air. My process herein described is in the nature of'an improvement on the process of said atent, and will be more clearly. understoo by reference 'tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of one form of apparatus for carrying out my process. Fig. 2 is a modified for I have there shown an inclosed chamber 1 havin an opening in the top thereof provided with a suitable battle plate 2. Situated a short distance below the top of this chamber there are a number of burners 3, pointing downwardly at an angle as shown', so that the flames from these burners will converge near the central part of the chamber 1. A suitable flue 4 is rovided so as to produce a draft, and to al ow for the escape of any gaseous va ors or. smoke. In the bottom of the cham erthere is situated a receptacle 5 lled with water, and workin within this water is a traveling conveyer s own in the form of a traveling screw driven throu h the means of the wheel 7 from any suitab e source of power. A water supply pipe is shown at 8.

In the form of'iny apparatus shown in Fig. 2, I have shown the burners 3a located at one side of the chamber, so that `the flame passes transversely across the upper portion of the chamber, andthe flue instead of being connected tothe lower part of this chamber is connected at a point substantially opposite the burners 3a.

In carrying out my process, the crude material, such as elaterite, is first ground inv any suitable manner and then the ground material fed into t-he top of the chamber 1. As this crude .material in falling passes through the flame, it is set on fire and` continues 'to burn freely while it is falling downward through the chamber. The finely divided particles falling downwardly through this chamber have access to a relatively large proportio'n of air whereby .the burning of these particles is greatly facilitated and my process` rendered much more efficient. This chamber is .preferably of suf-- licient height so that the material will have `practically burned itself out by the time he same strikes the water at the bottom of ing of the material, I find it desirable to add to the ground crude material, before the same is fed into the chamber, a suitable quantity of liquid fuel. As the material strikes the' water it is quickly cooled and hardened, and remains in a granular state and is fed out of the receptacle in any desired manner, such as by the traveling screw shown in the drawings.

It will thus be seen that` I have devised an eilcient and simple method of treating elaterite or other similarhydrocarbons, such as wurtzilite, gilsonite, ozocerite, etc.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The method of treating hydrocarbons, which consistsin first establishing a flame, feeding said hydrocarbons to and through said flame to thereby ignite the same, and

-then allowing said hydrocarbons to burn freely out ofpcontact with said Haine.

2. The method of treating hydrocarbons, which consists in first grinding the crude hydrocarbons, setting the ound hydrocarbons in motion, igniting t esame material While it is in motion, and allowing it to remain in motion until it has burned itself out.

3. The method of treating hydrocarbons, which consists in first grinding the crude hydrocarbons, adding liquid fuel thereto, setting the ground material in motion, igniting the same while in motion, and allowing it to remain in motion until it has burned itself out.

it is falling', and allowing it to continue falling until it has burned itself out.

5. rlhe method of treating hydrocarbons,

which consists .in first Grinding the crude material, adding liquid fuel thereto, allowing said ground material to fall by gravity,

lgniting said 'material while it is falling,

and allowing it to continue falling until it has burned .itself out., Y

. 6. The method .of treating hydrocarbons, which consists in first grinding the crude material, igniting the ground material while it is in motion, allowing it to remain in motion until it hasburned itself out, and then passing the materialy int-o water, whereby it is cooled and hardened.

7. The method of treating hydrocarbons, which consists in first grinding the crude material, adding liquid fuel thereto, setting the ground material in motion, igniting said material while it is in motion, allowing it to remain vin vmotion until it has burned itself out, and then passing the material into water, whereby it is cooled and hardened.

8. The methodof treating hydrocarbons, which consists in first grinding the crude material, allowing said ground material to fall by gravity, igniting said material while it is falling, allowing it to continue falling until it has burned itself out, and

then allowing the material to drop into water whereby it is cooled and hardened.

9. The method of treating hydrocarbons, which consists in first grinding the crude material, adding liquid fuel thereto, allowing said ground material to fall by gravity, igniting said material while it is falling, allowing it to continue falling until it has burned itself out, and then allowing the material to drop into water whereby it is cooled and hardened.

10. An apparatus for burning hydrocarbons, which comprises and elongated chalnber, means for feeding material through the top of said chamber, means for igniting said material within said chamber, a body of `water at the bottom of said chamber into which said material is adapted to fall, and means for removing said material from said body of water.

11. An apparatus for burning material, which comprises an elongated chamber, means for feeding material through the top of said chamber, means for igniting said material within said chamber, and a body of water at the bottom of said chamber into which said material is adapted to fall.

Signed by me at Colorado Springs, Colorado, this 22nd day of April, 1911.

JAMES C. ROSS.

' Witnesses:

JOHN H. WILSON, EDWARD BALzER. 

